Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The present invention relates to a handrail assembly
and particularly to an element for a han~rail enabling the on-
site assembly and shaping of a handrail assembly of any desired
length or configuration. The invention also relates to a method
of shaping and mounting a handrail assembly.
The handrail element comprises a leng-th of metal rod
or pipe which is covered with soft material with the hardness of
the metal being such that it may be formed or bent on-site by
hand to conform to a desired configuration. The ends of the
handrail elements are provided with means enabling like elements
to be secured together in end to end arrangement to provide a
handrail assembly of any desired length and/or configuration.
In many instances, handrails must be custom made for
a particular application, and this is why handrails cannot be
mass produced for any universal application. To date, specialized
handrails which are manufactured on-site require hot bending and
welding, and this procedure is costly and requires the presence
of skilled workmen.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a
handrail element which enables a handrail to be bent by hand at
the site of installation and which permits small bending radii and
which can be suitably shaped and mounted by workmen and which may
be manufactured and erected at reasonable and favourable cost.
The object is satisfied by the presen-t invention which
provides a handrail element comprising a length of metal rod or
pipe covered with soft material, the length of metal being adapted
for on-site cold bending by hand to any desired con~iguration.
To enable this bending, the metal rod or pipe is preferably of
soft copper or other soft metal or a metal alloy. To provide for
comfortable feel during use, the rod or pipe is surrounded with
a soft foam material which may be a polyurethane foam.
In its broad aspect the present invention relates to
a handrail element comprising a length of metal rod or pipe
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covered with soft material, the length of metal being adapted
for bending by hand at the site of installation to a desired
configuration.
More specifically, the invention relates to a handrail
element for use with other similar elements to construc-t a hand-
rail of desired shape and length, the element comprising a length
of metal which may be bent by hand covered with soft covering
material, the ends of -the element having connecting means for
end to end securement to like handrail elements.
Additionally, the present invention relates to a method
for the assembly and shaping and mounting of a handrail assembly
at the site of installation, comprising securing together in end
to end relationship two or more handrail elements according to
the preceding paragraph to desired length, bending the handrail
elements to desired configuration and mounting the assembly using
support brackets.
Individual lengths of the handrail element are secured
together to provide a handrail assembly of any desired length.
This may be accomplished by providing one end of the metal rod
or pipe with a projecting threaded nipple and providing the other
end with a threaded socket whereby like elements can be secured
together in secure endwise relationship. In manufacture, both
ends of the metal rod or pipe may be provided with threaded sockets
and then a double-ended threaded nipple secured in one of the
sockets prior to the covering of the elements with the soft mat-
erial. Alternatively, the handrail elements can be manufactured
with threaded sockets at both ends, and a double-ended threaded
nipple could then be employed on-site to secure adjacent ele-
ments together.
The length of each element may be about one meter and
by securing a number of lengths in end to end relationship, a
handrail assembly of any desired length may be produced. Because
each element or a number of elements when secured together may be
easily bent by hand to a desired configuration, a handrail of
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desired length and any straight or curving configuration can be
assembled and mounted on-site with a minimum of delay and cost.
Any portions of the elements at the ends of the handrail can
quite easily be removed as by sawing to provide for precise
length and the~ end caps may be added.
The soft covering may be a soft polyurethane foam mat-
erial or the like, and the surface of the soft covering may have
a grained leather-like surface which is easy to grasp and which
renders the handrail waterproof and does not significantly add
to the weight of the assembly.
The present invention will now be more fully described
with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates in perspective view a represen-
tative course or configuration of a handrail in accordance with
the present invention;
Figure 2 shows a handrail elemen-t in side partially
sectioned view; and
Figure 3 illustrates in sectional view an assembly for
mounting a handrail element on a supporting structure.
Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings
wherein like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts.
The handrail assembly as shown in Figure 1 is indicated
generally by numeral 2. Handrail elements according to the pre-
sent invention are shown at numeral 4 with suitable mounting
brackets being shown generally by numeral 6. Ends of the assembly
may be provided with suitable caps such as shown at ~.
A handrail element according to the invention is shown
in sectional view in Figure 2. The core or cen-tral portion of
the element is a length of metal rod or pipe 10 surrounded by a
covering of soft material 12 which may be polyurethane foam. The
metal pipe is of soft metal or metal alloy material such as
copper or other soft bendable metal or metal alloy. During man-
ufacture each end of the metal length may be provided with a
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threaded socket 14 and a double-ended threaded nipple 16 may be
-threadedly secured into one end of the metal length prior to the
application oE the soft covering material 12. It will thus be
appreciated that like elements as shown in Figure 2 may be joined
end to end to achieve an assembly of any desired length which may
be b~nt or configured to assume any desired configuration such as
that shown in Figure 1.
Any suitable means for mounting the handrail assembly
may be used, but a suitable arrangement is shown in Figure 3.
The bracket 6 consists of a stand-off arm 17, having at one end
a plate 18 which can be secured to a wall or post or the like by
suitable means such as screws (not shown). In preferred arrange-
ment, the stand-off arm 1i7 is secured to upright arm 20, provided
with a curved seat 22 of concave configuration to receive the
handrail element ~. A threaded screw 24 passes upwardly through
the hollow arm 20 and into the handrail element ~ to hold the
handrail element in secured position. When mounting the handrail
element it is convenient to position it within the concave seat
22 and the arm 20 used as a pattern for boring a hole in the hand-
rail element to receive screw 2~. Thus, each handrail elementis secured to a mounting bracket 6 using only one screw and the
positioning and mounting of the handrail assembly is achieved
with minimum effort.
